This is something I repost about once a year. Below are several videos from which I have drawn exercises for my strength routines in the last few years. While I believe traditional "pumping iron" has its place, I'm always on the lookout for exercises that emphasize precise movements and full ranges of motion. Not only are these things important for paddlers, but also I think they promote "later-life" general fitness and wellness. I, for one, am not getting any younger.
Core strength is an asset for paddlers of all disciplines. Here's Chinese slalom racer Jing Jing Li demonstrating some simple core exercises one can do with a stability ball:
I love exercises that require little or no equipment. In this video, slalom kayak world and Olympic champion Daniele Molmenti of Italy shows us some "backpacker" exercises, so named because they're easy to do anyplace on the planet you might find yourself:
The guy in this video, Michele Ramazza, has excelled in "extreme" or "freeride" racing--downriver kayaking in pretty gnarly whitewater:
Finally, here are some exercises that focus on explosive power. They are technically quite tricky, and I typically have to spend the first several sessions of a strength routine just learning them: I watch an exercise in the video, then I get down on the floor and try it myself, I see where I'm having difficulty, and I watch the video footage again to see how this athlete handles it.
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